How Does Your Dental Care Affect Your Overall Health?

Many of us keep up with our dentist appointments because we want to keep our smiles looking and feeling fresh, and that’s great! Dental care is important. But did you know that taking care of your oral health also means helping your total body health? Sometimes it’s easy to forget that our body is this amazing, interconnected system, and we don’t always think about how looking after something like our mouth can make us healthier overall. Let’s dive into how your dental care affects your overall health!

The Connection Between Gum Disease & Other Illnesses

One of the big ways that we can see how the health of our mouth is tied to the health of the rest of our body is with gum disease. Research has shown there to be a connection between gum disease and other illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. Gum disease can result in bacteria entering our bloodstream, which in turn may cause inflammation in the heart. If you have gum disease, the inflammation in your gums may make your blood sugar level increase, and having diabetes can actually make you more vulnerable to periodontal disease.

The Mouth as a Gateway

Many diseases have oral symptoms, which means that if something is off with our oral health, it may be the first sign we get that there’s a larger issue. That’s why some dentists like to say that the mouth is the gateway to the body. Part of keeping up with your oral health is visiting the dentist twice a year, and if you’re seeing your dentist regularly, there’s a greater chance you’ll be able to spot any bigger problems as soon as possible.

Have more questions about your smile? Want to schedule that routine check-up? Main Street Dental is here for you! Our friendly team is available to help you in any way that we can. Call or email us today to set up your appointment at our Bentonville office!

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Categorised in: Oral Health, Overall Health, Preventive Dental Care